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Friday, February 5, 2016

For the past six years I have written YA, and I've enjoyed every word I've written for teens. I also love that my stories have had crossover appeal, blessing me with many adult readers. I've always been a slave to inspiration, so when I found myself coming up on the end of my YA contractual obligations, and a New Adult idea was plaguing my mind, I knew it was time to go there. This is not to say I'll never write YA again. I'm open to whatever the future may hold.

Switching genres from YA to NA, and going from traditional publishing to indie publishing, is a bit daunting. When I'm under contract, that legal obligation is always there, lighting a fire under me. But with self-publishing there's this fear in the back of my mind - the worry that I can't do it, or I'll lose interest and flake out, or I'll completely suck without the aid of my professional editor. I'm also completely aware of the possibility that I'll be lost in a sea of obscurity in the NA market, which consists primarily of contemporary stories. Sci-fi and fantasy are notorious for not doing as well in the self-publishing world. That being said, I'm not being inspired to write contemporary. It's an apocalyptic sci-fi romance that is haunting me, so it is an apocalyptic sci-fi romance I will write, come what may. I am past the point of letting trends and competitive markets hold me back. It's my own personal fears that I'll be battling in this adventure. So I must find ways to hold myself accountable.

I've decided to do something different with this book than I've ever done before. Some of you might know that I got my start online. I was picked up by HarperCollins on a website called Inkpop where I'd uploaded a version of Sweet Evil. Well, now I'm going back to the web, and I'll be uploading the first 10k words of Unknown to Wattpad, adding a chapter each week, starting mid-March after the publication of my newest YA fantasy, The Great Hunt. I will post online each time a chapter is added. Please keep an eye on my Facebook page and Twitter account.

Now let me tell you about my story, Unknown. (SQUEE!!) Since I was a teen I've suffered recurring apocalyptic nightmares, stuff like the movie Red Dawn where the U.S. is being invaded and I'm traveling, trying to stay alive amid the enemy and chaos. There are usually sexy undertones to these frighteningly realistic dreams. I hardly watch any end-of-the-world movies or shows, so I have no idea where these dreams come from other than my own warped imagination. But after all these years I think it's time to put those nightmares to good use.

And now for the Blurb/Description!

UNKNOWN by Wendy Higgins

Amber Tate believes the worst thing she’ll suffer in life is dealing with the unrequited love she feels for her brother’s best friend, Rylen Fite. She also believes war is something unfortunate that happens places far, far away from her rural Nevada town. She’s wrong on both counts.

When an unknown organization meticulously bombs major cities in the United States and across the globe, a trickle-down effect spreads to remaining towns at an alarming speed—everything from food and water sources to technological communications are compromised. Without leadership, the nation is split between paralysis and panic, but Amber isn’t one to hide or watch helplessly. She’s determined to put her nursing skills to use, despite the danger, even if it means working alongside the man she can never have.

In this first installment of NY Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins’s debut New Adult series, a frighteningly realistic apocalyptic America is brought to life, entwined with searing romantic tension that will leave you eager for more.

If you want add Unknown to your "to read" shelf, here it is on Goodreads!

Here's what I can tell you so far about the Unknown series:

~It will be at least 3-4 books in total
~It will follow at least 2 female main characters. Book 1 will focus on Amber Tate. Book 2 will introduce us to Jasmine, and will go back-and-forth between Amber and Jasmine's viewpoints for the remainder of the series, both told in first person point of view, both with their own romance threads.
~There will be no male POV in these books.
~The first book will be mostly backstory and introductions, along with the world's downfall. You will be left with more questions than answers in book 1. I love you. Don't hate me.
~I am hoping to get the first book written this winter/spring, edited in early summer, and published in August. That is if all goes well and there are no set backs. But I will not put out a rushed product, so if I don't feel it's ready by August I will adjust the publication date.
~I know this will be disappointing to reviewers, but I will not be doing ARC (advanced review copy) distribution. I literally get hundreds of ARC requests for every book, and it's not financially feasible or smart of me to give away hundreds of free copies when I have no idea how sales will be for this kind of book on the indie market. Since I'm one person, and not a giant publishing house, I'm going to keep this simple and do none. It's a business decision, and I hope you'll understand. But I WILL do an international giveaway closer to the release date.
~And lastly, the incredibly talented graphic artist Jennifer Munswami is working on a cover! *flails*

I cannot thank you enough for your support and enthusiasm in all things. To everyone who shares my posts and helps to spread the word, my family and I owe you a world of gratitude. xoxoxo